Retailers' best practices add up to success in challenging times
David Perry, Bedding editor -- Furniture Today, December 1, 2008
A special emphasis this year was on retail success stories. While we've always provided a number of perspectives in this space, ranging from retail consultants and industry experts to sales associates themselves, most of our features in 2008 outlined what retailers were doing to drive retail bedding sales.
As we wrap up what was a challenging year for the industry, we take a look back at some of the compelling ideas that retailers and others shared with us. There is plenty of wisdom here, we think, to help retailers make plans for a better year in 2009.
Best wishes to all for a year of success.
Tout high-end bedding
January: Jim McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture, Houston: Aiming to avoid the “downward death spiral” of a commodity approach to the business, he brought in high-end mattress lines, including memory foam leader Tempur-Pedic. “While the competition advertises $33 mattresses,” he said, “our customers are buying Tempur-Pedic and spending an average of more than $2,500.” Some in the industry didn't think McIngvale could serve high-end customers. Mattress Mack proved them wrong.
Ask about sleep issues
February: Stuart Lazarus, Verlo Mattress Factory Stores, Mundelein, Ill.: This Verlo franchisee, a regular on the sales floor, has learned the importance of engaging in meaningful dialogues with his customers. “What about your current sleep situation is an issue in your life?” is a good question to get the discussion started, he said. Consumers “will tell you their needs,” Lazarus noted. “This is like raising children. You need to listen. You also need to ask the right questions and be sincere.”
Ask for the sale
March: John Work, Mattress Barn, Melbourne, Fla.: This veteran mattress salesman and store manager stays focused on the basics, one of which is asking for the sale. “You are in the wrong business if you can't ask for the sale,” he said. And asking that first time makes it easier to ask a second time.
Try one simple question
April: Kurt Ling, president of Customer Kinetics, a customer experience firm: He makes the link between a good mattress and better sleep by asking consumers a simple series of questions, starting with: A good mattress helps you do what? “If we let every customer answer that one question,” Ling said, “we would make a huge difference in the industry, and I'm pretty convinced we can teach everyone to ask one question.”
Listen carefully
May: Patrick Schweitzer, manager of a 1800mattress.com store in New York: He preaches the power of listening. “The biggest key to mattress sales is listening to the customer,” he said. “The more you know how they feel, the better you can help them. I am a good listener. I developed that skill by trial and error.”
Home cooking sells
June: Ashley and Patrick Unverferth, America's Mattress, Grand Junction, Colo.: They sell the comforts of home in their redesigned America's Mattress stores here, a design direction the Serta-only retailer is pursuing nationally. “When a customer can imagine a mattress in their home,” the Unverferths said, “they are more likely to make a purchase. If the store atmosphere is home-like, it's much easier for a customer to envision sleeping on that mattress in their own home.”
Make consumers comfy
July: Jon Parks, executive vice president of Horich Parks Lebow Advertising: Success is in the details. Sleepy's provides courtesy cloths to consumers so they will be more comfortable lying down on the beds. Mattress Firm rolls out a red carpet for its delivery service. 1800mattress.com keeps some stores open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And Hastens uses privacy screens to help put consumers at ease.
Always promote bedding
August: Larry Cole, owner of Furniture Mart, Roxboro, N.C.: He does well with bedding with a simple formula. “It's persistence,” he said. “We promote bedding as much as any product in the store. Every ad that we do includes bedding. Even if it's a Lane or a La-Z-Boy ad, we include bedding in it.”
Latex recommendation
September: Kimberly Perry, general manager of Perry's Furniture, Belfast, Maine: This retailer has been serving Maine residents for 30 years, and has built a well-deserved reputation for service. Consumers trust Kim's advice. She does well with latex bedding, which she recommends. “I could sleep on anything,” she said. “I choose to sleep on latex.”
Two-sided success
October: Jason Howard, president, Ross Furniture, Dover, N.H.: He does well with two-sided mattresses. “Consumers like the fact that we still have flip mattresses,” he said. “That's something fun to talk about. They are not the same old beds.”
Sleep rooms score
November: Arthur Watkins, president of Mattress Inn, Nashville, Tenn.: He has found success by offering “sleep rooms,” in which consumers can try out any of the company's sleep sets in private for up to three hours. Most consumers who test out their mattress in a sleep room become purchasers.
